Updating this post to announce that while it was a very close contest, Brandie’s Tropical Guacamole takes home the Grand Prize. Congrats to all our finalists!
Homemade Guacamole Recipe Contest
We had so many fabulous homemade guacamole recipes submitted by our readers for our Homemade Guacamole Recipe Contest, it was hard for our panel to choose just three finalists. Participants submitted their recipe for a chance to win prizes from our friends at Paradise Grove including one avocado gift basket for each finalist and a avocado-of-the-month gift prize for the grand prize winner.
Homemade Guacamole Recipe Contest
Our Three Finalists!
So, after much review and taste-testing, below are our three finalists who will each receive a beautiful avocado basket from Paradise Grove. If you’re in the mood for good homemade guacamole this Cinco de Mayo, none of these recipes will let you down!
Finalist #1: Debby Mitchell with “Guaca-Guacamole”
Debby had a pomegranate tree in their yard and decided to use this in her guacamole. No pomegranates? No problem- Debby says, you can substitute with dried cranberries! Read Debby’s recipe here and vote by leaving a comment on her recipe post (not this one):
Debby's Guaca-Guacamole Recipe
Finalist #2: Serene Katschke “Guacamole Fresco”
Serene uses fresh citrus ingredients like lemon and lime for the fresco flavor. Read Serene’s recipe here and vote by leaving a comment on her recipe post (not here):
Serene's "Guacamole Fresco"
Finalist #3: Brandie’s “Tropical Guacamole”
Brandie uses tropical fruits like mango and pineapple in her guacamole recipe which turned out delicious! Read Brandie’s recipe here on her blog but come back to vote by leaving a comment below (in this very post):
Brandie's "Tropical Guacamole" Recipe
Paradise Groves is a beautiful California avocado orchard with amazing gift baskets for all occasions- check out the great selection of delicious, heart-healthy gifts here: Paradise Grove Avocado Gifts. Our three lucky finalists will receive one of these beautiful avocado gifts, so congratulations to Debby, Serene and Brandie!
Vote Now!
Voting ends at midnight Cinco de May (May 5th) PST so vote now for your favorite homemade guacamole recipe by submitting your comment below. You can also cast your vote by leaving a comment on our Facebook page with your selection, and if you do both- that’s two votes for your favorite recipe! We will not be accepting more than 2 votes from any individual person (checked by IP addresses). This is a fun little contest so lets stick to the spirit of it.
Also visit and chat with us and our finalists on Facebook!
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, so it’s time to show Mom just how special you think she is. If your mom loves to cook as much as my mom does, then I have just the thing to help you choose that perfect Mother’s Day Gift.
I’ve compiled the best gifts for 2012 in my “Mom’s Who Love To Cook Gift Guide”. I’ve personally hand-picked each of these fabulous items as something I would love to receive (hint hint), along with ordering instructions.
So here they are, the best of the web for that special Mom.
Spanish Paella Gift Set with Wine Paring by Edible Gifts Plus
When I saw this fabulous Spanish Paella Gift Set from Edible Gifts Plus, it quickly shot to the top of my list for my Mom. Included in this kit is everything she needs to cook Spanish Paella, including the pan!
As a bonus, the kit comes with a bottle of Campo Viejo Reserva wine which pairs perfectly with the Paella.
$72.95 from Edible Gifts Plus
Le Crueset
The Mother of all gifts. I can honestly say that I value my Le Crueset cookware more than anything in my kitchen. Made from cast-iron with enamel coating, this is not the type of cookware you replace after awhile. Rather, a Le Crueset is something that stays in the family for generations. An entire cookware set will cost almost $2,000 from skillets, casserole dishes and stock pots. If you want to start a Le Crueset cookware collection, it’s best to start with my favorite piece- the Dutch Oven, and it’s on sale for an amazingly low price of $53.99.
regularly $98, the 6-quart Dutch Oven is on sale for $53.99 (almost half off)
The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan Subscription
The perfect gift for your sister, mother, daughter, best friend or co-worker; a one-year subscription to The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan at only $29.99 for the entire year! Let The Organized Cook do the planning and organization for your mom or daughter to create healthy, delicious meals for the family.
Your mom will receive a Welcome Gift email with your name and is sure to think of you each week when she receives her next time and money saving meal plan. Alert! Mother’s Day Gift special- save 20% on a gift subscription with coupon code FORMOM.
Save 20% One-Year Gift Subscription
Please add your gift recipient’s name and email address in the “comments/Special Delivery instructions” box.
Meatball Baker by Chicago Metallic
For Mom’s who love to cook meatballs, here it is- The Meatball Baker. This product was invented by a mom who got tired of having her meatballs fall apart. This brilliant baking pan produces beautiful meatballs which is great for someone like me who loves to photograph them! The best part is that the meatballs don’t cook in their own grease.
Everyone who knows me knows I love to eat and cook with avocados. The only person I know who loves avocados more than I do is my mother. Paradise Groves offers beautiful gift boxes and baskets of avocados fresh from the orchard and straight to your mom’s door. They also have a Monthly Avocado Club where your mom will receive monthly shipments of these healthy vegetables.
starting at $24.95 gift boxes from Paradise Groves
Capresso Temperature Controlled Cordless Water Kettle
My mom loves to drink tea as much as she loves to cook, which is why she would love this amazing cordless glass water kettle. It has five temperature settings to allow tea lovers like me (and my mom) to heat water to the optimal temperature to extract the best flavor of any type of tea.
$99.99 from Capresso
Pyrex Bake, Serve and Store Set
These glass food storage containers can go from freezer to oven. Whether it’s storing leftovers to reincarnate later in the week, or freezing entire meals to heat later, this is the perfect set and makes a great gift for any mom who loves to cook! This set is currently on sale for $23.64 (full price $34.99)… with this bargain- you can throw in a Weekly Meal Plan Gift Subscription to go with it!
Pyrex Baker, Serve and Store Set only $23.64
Spice Gift Box from The Spice House
I love high-quality spices, so it’s no wonder that I fell in love with these adorable gift boxes from The Spice House like my favorite- “Poultry Pleasers Gift Box”. The only problem with these gorgeous gifts that come packed in boxes lined with fresh herbs, is that there’s so many gifts to choose from, like “Salad & Vegetable Lover’s Gift Box“, “Italian Food Lover’s Gift Box” and “Baker’s Deluxe Gift Box“, it’s hard to pick just one.
Baker's Spices Gift Box $28.95 at The Spice House
momAgenda
From Home Organizers to Day Planners, if your mom loves to cook, she probably likes to stay organized as well. At The Organized Cook we love momAgenda’s planners and tools, especially the momAgenda Kitchen Folio where Mom can keep all of her information in one place- even Weekly Meal Plans from The Organized Cook! And, the Kitchen Folio is on sale for Mother’s Day at only $24.05 (regular price $37.00). Alert! momAgenda is offering free shipping for Mother’s Day on orders placed before May 6th with coupon code LOVEMOM.
momAgenda Kitchen Folio on sale for $24.05 (35% savings)
Heavenly Hostess
The runway version of the apron. Heavenly Hostess will have your mom serving with grace. With matching oven mitts and headbands, I’ll take one of each please. I’m not sure if I like the apron or the gift box more.
Heavenly Hostess aprons starting at $80
The Lily Pad Silicone Lid
I’m convinced this product was designed specifically with The Organized Cook in mind. A lid that fits any bowl with suction thereby eliminating the need for plastic wrap? This innovative lid is not from the Jetson’s, it’s from an adorable online shop called Catching Fireflies. The best part is that it really works! What mom wouldn’t want a set of these in the kitchen?
$12.95 from Catching Fireflies
Sauces, Marinades and Recipes from Wild Thymes
Gift boxes from Wild Thymes include a variety of sauces and marinades that are 100% natural, kosher, gluten-free with low sodium. One product I couldn’t wait to try is the Meyer Lemon Salad Refresher.
Vinaigrette Sampler Gift Box $35 from Wild Thymes
B. Witching Bath Co.
I can’t stop smelling my hands. They smell, well- enchanting. I always have hand lotion in my kitchen where it’s needed most after a day of cooking and washing dishes. But I can honestly now say that from now on, you’ll find only the Royal Lavender Lotion from B. Witching Co. in my kitchen. Looking through their magnificent catalog made me want to get in my car and drive to their shop. However, with free shipping for Mother’s Day, I’ll go ahead and place my order online. The products show up in a beautiful box that I’m sure my mom would love… if I wasn’t planning on keeping it for myself.
free shipping for Mother's Day from B. Witching Bath Co.- tell them Toni sent you
Handmade Aprons from Global Goods Partners
By purchasing this, you’re not only getting a 100% handmade beautiful apron for mom, you’re also helping women in some of the poorest communities around the world. Global Goods Partners is a nonprofit that provides an online market for fair trade, handmade goods by women artisans from on the Thai/Burmese border. What better gift for mom than one that’s functional AND meaningful?
$40 gets a beautiful original handmade apron for Mom and helps another mom across the globe
PepArt Salt & Pepper Crusher from William Bounds
Is it art or is it a functional kitchen gadget? This designer set is the PepArt Twin Set- the perfect pair for freshly grinding sea salt and peppercorns. The mills feature the exclusive William Bounds stainless/ceramic milling mechanism with no interlocking metal parts, which makes the mill more durable because it will never jam or wear out. Durable and artful!
$70 for the Twin Sets Apple & Turquoise
Pouchee Purse Organizer
Toni Spilsbury carries one. Credit cards, coupons, shopper loyalty cards, recipe ideas, cell phone, lipgloss…. all in one place. The Pouchee Purse organizer keeps all essential items together and organized to make transferring from purse to purse a piece of cake.
Enter The Pouchee Giveaway
Pouchee: the ultimate purse organizer! Organize your essentials and change bags in a snap; pouchee makes changing bags fun! Visit our website www.pouchee.com
Blender Bottles
This invention has more purpose in the kitchen than one might think. I use my Blender Bottle with Shaker Ball to make scrambled eggs, pancake mix and salad dressing- just to name a few things. I think that every person who loves to cook should have a set of these in the kitchen.
$12.98 for a set of two Blender Bottles
Cuisinart 5-in-1 Griddler
This is actually a gift I received from my mom! I use this griddler almost every day for everything from panini’s to pork chops, and it’s so easy to clean. Take this recommendation from one mom-who-loves-to-cook to another- this is a great gift. At a full price of $185. it’s a steal this week for only $86.84!
Cuisinart 5-in-1 Griddler on sale for $86.84
Burn Cream MD
It happens. We moms who love to cook sometimes get burned in the kitchen- literally. The Burn Cream MD stops the pain and speeds healing when that happens…. what a smart product to have handy in the kitchen.
$29.99 for a 2.5oz. bottle of Burn Cream MD
Kitchen Helper from GuideCraft
I can honestly tell you that this is the most loved item in my kitchen. When I purchased the Kitchen Helper more than five years ago I wasn’t really sure how often I would use it. Not only have we used this convenient stool that enables kids to safely participate in cooking and baking, but it has helped to create memories for our family. It safely holds two kids at a time and is adjustable so it grows with your kids. I like to brag that my girls were able to crack an egg before they were out of diapers- and it’s true. From assembling salads, mixing batter or making individual pizzas, my kids use this stool daily. As I look at it now- weathered and stained sitting in the corner of my kitchen, I’m so happy that I made this purchase.
Kitchen Helper from GuideCraft $124.99
Sprout Robot
It’s like having The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan System for your garden. I was so excited when I stumbled upon Sprout Robot, as I love to grow herbs and vegetables but totally lack the know-how. Sprout Robot plans your garden based on zip code by creating a weekly personalized planting calendar for you for either a patio, small or family garden. It’s a “one for me, one for my mother-in-law” gift at only $39.99 for the entire year!
from $19..99 to $59.99 for an entire year subscription
pdf download of Mother’s Who Love To Cook Gift Guide 2012 coming soon.
Do you have a great recipe for homemade guacamole? Get your Homemade Guacamole Recipe featured on The Organized Cook and win some fabulous prizes from our friends at Paradise Grove just in time for Cinco de Mayo.
Homemade Guacamole
Win Prizes!
Paradise Grove is a beautiful California avocado orchard with amazing gift baskets for all occasions- check out the great selection of delicious, heart-healthy gifts here: Paradise Grove Avocado Gifts. Three lucky finalists will receive one of these beautiful avocado gifts:
Grand Prize Winner
And the Grand Prize Winner, selected by our voters, will receive an additional Avocado Of The Month Club Prize worth $189.95.
Get Featured
Your recipe will be featured here on The Organized Cook in addition to our Facebook Fan Page and Pinterest Board. Entering is simple:
Recipe Submission Due: April 30th
Voting Begins: May 1st
Winner Announced: Cinco de Mayo, May 5th
There Are 3 Ways To Submit Your Recipe
1. Post your recipe and photo on our Facebook page
2. Leave a Comment below with your email and recipe
3. If you have a blog or website, link your recipe here below:
Open to US Residents age 18 & older. Original recipes only.
I can’t believe I didn’t already know about this handy gadget! A digital counter that keeps track of how many days you last did something with a magnetic strip that attaches to your refrigerator.
The DaysAgo Digital Counter was originally invented by two moms who wanted to keep track of how long baby food jars had been opened, since they should be thrown out after three days. If you’re an “Organized Cook”, this is a great tool to have handy for leftover food and other refrigerator perishables.
And what’s even better, is that we’re giving away a set in our Manic Monday Giveaway from The Organized Cook! It’s simple to enter, just follow the link below:
Family meals are important. Iʼll show you easy ways to spend less time and money at the grocery store, less time in the kitchen and more time with your family.
Three months of our most popular menus from The Organized Cook™ Weekly Meal Plan System including grocery shopping lists, cooking instructions and lots of time and money saving tips in one book that's easy to fit in your purse.
Start saving now! Save time and money at the grocery store and in the kitchen. Order Now.